Obsidian
' Obsidians' (Also referred to as Crows) are part of the lowColors. They are a 'monstrous race, only bred for war.' Obsidian is the only color to ever rebel against the Gold elite (until the Rising). After the "Dark Revolt," they were forced to live in the polar regions of Earth and Mars. Allowed no knowledge of high technology, the Obsidians worship Golds as "Sunborn" gods. In light of their ignorance of the processes of genetic manipulation and Carving, the Golds populate the lands of the Obsidians with unimaginable horrors, including bear-like pack-hunters, man-sized (and larger) marine predators and mythic beasts from Earth's ancient legends (notably: Griffins and dragons). Most Obsidians have 5 fingers per hand, though some are known to have 4 or 8 per hand, as confirmed in this tweet Due to the incredible sense of kinship among the Obsidians, the Board of Quality Control bribes their tribal shamans to teach that touching one another will "weaken their spirit." Obsidians therefore believe in only three types of touch: The Touch of Spring (during sexual intercourse), the Touch of Summer (to save another) and the Touch of Winter (to bring death). In battle, Obsidians chant a throaty war-song, intended to send terror into the hearts of their adversaries, as well as inspire courage and kinship among the Obsidians themselves. Their native tongue seems to be some form of Icelandic, though it is no longer called that. The language they speak is called Nagal in Morning Star but it is not know if this dialect is universal or exclusive to martian Obsidians. Obsidians are known for their enormous height and titanic strength. They are incredibly hardy; a razor can pierce an Obsidian's armour, yet (s)he may appear totally unfazed by the injury. Obsidians seem to be the only color without a title between names (Ex. Ragnar Volarus) Culture Obsidian culture originally bore a resemblance to Mongolian culture, but following the Dark Revolt, the Board of Quality Control used social engineering to reconfigure Obsidian culture to resemble Nordic cultures, with Obsidians over the subsequent centuries bearing Norwegian names. (Ex. Ragnar translates to warrior in Norwegian). Obsidian culture was originally patriarchal before the Dark Revolt, but after the rebellion failed and 90% of the population was exterminated, Gold social engineering reversed it into a matriarchy. Obsidian hierarchy is mostly unknown. All that is clear is that the Queen is as the top with chieftains operating underneath the Queen. It is also to be assumed that each planet has its own obsidian Queen as Sefi uniting based upon color was unexpected by the Society. Polygamy is common among Obsidian women. Language In addition to Common, Obsidian are the only Color to have their own unique languages. In the early centuries of the Post-Conquering Era, Obsidians spoke a language known as Tetkjr, implied to have Mongolian roots based on the fact that Obsidian culture was influenced by the Mongols prior to the Dark Revolt. After Gold socially re-engineered Obsidian culture to resemble that of the ancient Norse following the Battle of Peitho and the end of the Dark Revolt, Obsidians shifted to a Nordic-based language known as Nagal. Outside of the Ascomanni who fled to the Kuiper Belt, Tetkjr was not spoken inside Society territory for centuries, and of its written form, only remnants of old prayers have been found in abandoned temples on Mercury. Stained Stained are among the strongest of the Obsidians, recruited by "the Gods" to serve as elite soldiers and bodyguards (but never as commanders or leaders in any capacity). They are allowed to use some martial technology (such as IonBlades) but are still largely bound by the prohibition of high technology. For any Obsidian, to touch a Razor is a capital crime. Stained are adorned with scars and tattoos (their "Stains," earned as accolades for their achievements in combat) and are typically bald or mostly-bald. All known stained also have eyes tattooed on their eyelids. Society Training After an Obsidian is harvested from the ice, they are taken to a facility known as the Agoge, where they are trained in modern weaponry and space combat. They are given meager rations, and to supplement this are encouraged to loot and steal supplies from the surrounding area in a nightly ritual known as the Nagoge. Ascomanni Obsidians who escaped slavery of the Society and the Rim. They are considered quite ruthless and violent, known to be cannibalistic and to decorate the hulls of their ships with the bodies of their victims. See page for more. Notable Obsidians * Ragnar Volarus, the Shield of Tinos * Sefi the Quiet, breaker of Tanos * Alia Snowsparrow, Queen of the Valkyrie, mother of Ragnar and Sefi * Volga Fjorgan, kidnapped Pax and Electra * Alfrún * Helga, often mentioned by Pax au Telemanus * Wulfgar, Warden of the Republic * Gorgo, bodyguard for the crime lord known as the Duke of Hands es:Obsidianos Category:LowColors Category:Obsidians